Dreams Awaken
by Nature'sAngel
Summary: PREQUEL TO "THE NIGHT BEFORE". Draco Malfoy is just as confused as Harry Potter over the events that have happened. Can he allow his feelings to get in the way of his purpose? Written over several years in Hogwarts. H/D SLASH. review please!
1. Year 2: Knockturn

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

-- --

Hey y'all! Welcome to those of you just joining us, and welcome back to you guys who have stuck around through The Night Before! If you didn't know, this is the prequel to The Night Before so you can go check that out too if you'd like! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are my favoritest thing in the world, so I hope you'll leave a few :)

-- --

YEAR TWO

-- --

_Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak_

It was a gorgeous day outside, but one would never know that from the dark and compressed streets of Knockturn Alley. The gray and depressing surrounding seemed to block out the rays of the sun on its own. It reflected well on the mood of a certain young blonde wizard, trying to pass the time staring up at the ceiling as he spun quickly around in a worn out black armchair.

_Squeak, squeak, squeak_

He casually wondered how long his father would put up with the rusty squeaking of the armchair before he –

"_Draco!_"

A swift smack on the shoulder from the end of his father's serpent cane cut off Draco Malfoy's thoughts. He winced, dropping his feet to the ground and spinning around to face his father's stone-like glare. Every time he looked at his father's face he saw an unreachable perfection; what his father wanted him to become but knew he could never reach.

"Enough" his smooth voice ordered sharply.

Draco sighed and let his head fall back against the chair. He wasn't sure if his father really had business to do in this shop or if he was just trying to torture him. Impatiently, he started loudly tapping his thumb against one of the old brass buttons that decorated the arm of the chair. An agitated Lucius slowly turned away from the shopkeeper yet again, getting Draco's attention.

"If you are not going to sit here quietly," he warned, "then I suggest you find somewhere else to occupy your short attention span."

Draco rolled his eyes but got up from his seat and left the shop quickly, incase his father saw the gesture. He may loathe his father's dictator-like rule over him, but he wasn't about to try and fight it. He knew he would lose.

Looking up the alleyway he saw the bright and bustling opening where Knockturn meets Diagon Alley. Draco shoved his hands into his robe pockets and walked defiantly in the opposite direction. The last thing he wanted to do before being placed on a crowded train was be around people. He dreaded the train ride back to Hogwarts he would have to take in a few short hours. His first year there had dragged by painstakingly slowly, and this year wasn't expected to be much better. Sure, he had carved his niche in the Slytherin house, but it wasn't as glorious as he had hoped. If things had gone as planned first year, Harry Potter would have been on his side. But no, Mr. Boy-With-A-Heart-Of-Gold had to go all noble on him and snub away at his offer of friendship. Fine. What did he care? Potter turned out to be a pushover anyway, which only infuriated Draco more as he watched Potter's popularity increase daily.

_He shows off that idiotic looking scar of his and suddenly people fall at his feet..._

In all honesty, the rivalry with Harry was the only thing that made Hogwarts bearable for him. Draco loved the challenge to be better than him at everything, and he especially loved the satisfaction when he succeeded. Nothing made him feel more content than seeing the look of frustration on Potter's face when he lost. The thought even now brought a wicked grin across Draco's face. Suddenly he stopped and frowned, quickly shaking his head. Thoughts of Potter did _not_ need to invade his mind right now. He wanted to enjoy this time alone, and his trail of thought had left a nasty taste in his mouth.

Looking around, Draco realized how deep into Knockturn he had gone. No one but a stray cat seemed to inhabit the dirty cobblestone street. He looked up at the damaged sign that dangled above his head.

_Fossey's_

The outside of what seemed like a bar looked run down enough for Draco's liking. If he was lucky, he could have the place to himself to brood. Slowly he pulled open the door and peeked inside. It seemed quiet enough, so he risked opening it the rest of the way. A small bell over the door chimed his arrival and he was swiftly greeted by an older, cheerful looking woman. She was plump and decorated in a bright floral apron. A large, welcoming grin beamed down at Draco. He regretted his decision immediately.

"Why hello there, my dear!" she practically sung. Draco groaned internally and tried to take a step back out the door, but she quickly closed it behind him and grabbed his arm, steering him toward a table.

"You seem a bit young to be wandering around the streets of Knockturn all by your lonesome! Not the nicest of places to be, no sir! But no matter, no matter. Anything I can get for you, my dear?"

She plopped him down into a hard, rickety old chair. Draco looked up at her in disdain. "Butterbeer" he grumbled.

"Coming right up!" she said happily with a pat on his shoulder. He tried to swivel his body away from her, but she had already disappeared into the kitchen behind him.

Draco sighed and folded his arms on the table, resting his chin on top. He took the opportunity to look around. There were only a couple empty tables with a few chairs set up. All the furniture was old and simply made. Across the floor was an empty stone fireplace, a faded rug at its base. Two large green armchairs sat on either side, a large beat up red couch lining the length of the rug. Despite the ancient look of the place, it still seemed to be well kept and optimistic. This annoyed Draco to no end. He had been looking for a place to sit in a dark corner by himself with no one bothering him where he could be alone with his thoughts.

_Not gonna happen_, he thought angrily as he heard the quick padding of the woman approaching him.

"Here we are, dear! Enjoy! The name's Fossey, just plain Fossey will do! Don't be afraid to use it!"

Draco just silently watched her set the bottle down in front of him. He waited until she moved away to clean one of the tables before he reached for the drink and sipped it slowly.

_At least the place is empty_, he reminded himself, trying to make the best of the situation. He took another sip of his Butterbeer before returning to his original position. With a sigh he started thinking of what lay in wait for him at Hogwarts.

_The crowded common room…sharing a room…Crabbe and Goyle…_

He honestly didn't mind Crabbe and Goyle so much, when they didn't annoy the hell out of him, but he craved having someone with even a speck of intelligence to spend time with. Some of the older Slytherin students had some potential, but most of the Slytherins were all the same; conceited and deceiving. Naturally, Draco prided himself in his ability to manipulate people, but it didn't help that the rest of his house seemed to have the same talent. It made trusting them very difficult.

"So what brings a young man such as yourself down this far away from the hustle and bustle of Diagon?"

Draco flinched and glared at the woman. Her kindly eyes seemed to be searching for something in his. He didn't like that.

"School starts again soon, doesn't it? Lots to buy, I'm sure. Although I can't imagine you needing the likes of anything sold down this street! No sir! Not that anyone would be selling, mind you. Dead as a desert out here, it is! Not much to enjoy for a young man like yourself, no sir!"

"I don't like crowds" he growled.

"Ah, one of the loner kinds, are you? Not that I blame you, of course. Hard to hear ones self think with all the chatter and hullabaloo!"

_Hard indeed…_

"Can't say you'll find much of that down here! No sir not many wandering souls come by in the daylight hours. Silent as a graveyard in here, I'm afraid! But no matter, no matter. This place will be busy as anything once the sun dies down, let me assure you!"

A silent swig of his drink was Draco's only response. He focused his attention on the bottle, staring at it angrily.

Fossey hesitated a moment. "Of course, even the light of day doesn't scare away some mischievous individuals. Can't be too careful around these parts! Oh my hearts and stars you should see some of the shady looking folks I come across now and again! Not too safe for a young boy, no sir!"

"I can take care of myself" he snapped back. Draco hated being treated like a kid. What he hated more though was the look of pity the woman seemed to be giving him.

"Oh no doubt, love! No doubt you can! I can see you have a good head on your shoulders. A smart young man like you knows how to handle himself, I'm sure!"

Draco ignored her, spilling the last of the Butterbeer into his mouth.

"Anything else I can get you, love?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice as she came to gather his drink. "Anything you'd like to eat? Another drink?"

Draco opened his mouth but froze, a familiar tug pulling at his gut. It was a sensation Draco had come to discover he always felt when his father demanded his presence. He quickly stood, reaching into his pocket and dropping a few coins on the table. As he made his way toward the door, Fossey called after him.

"Good luck in school, my dear! I hope to see you again! Fossey's will always be open and welcome to you so stop by for a visit!"

Draco just rolled his eyes and left without a word. Breaking into a jog Draco hurriedly made his way back to the shop he left his father in. Just as he had predicted, there Lucius stood outside of the shop, waiting.

"Where were you?" he asked coldly. Draco looked up into his father's dark silver eyes.

"I went to get a drink" he responded shortly. Lucius' eyes ran up and down his son before pivoting where his stood, his dark colored robes flowing out behind him. Draco quickly followed behind him.

They made their way up Knockturn, merging with the rest of the crowd going into Diagon Alley. The atmosphere seemed itself seemed to change along with the surroundings. Here the sun shone brightly, bouncing and glittering off the vibrant colors that filled the streets. A steady stream of voices from hundreds of witches and wizards floated lightly through the air. The shops that lined the street had their wares on display in the most eye-catching fashion. A few owls flew overhead with messages and parcels in their grasp. Street vendors happily shouted their contents to the bustling crowds. A few Hogwarts robes could be seen on the younger crowd, running to and from the supply shops, wide grins on their faces. Draco glared at each one of them.

After shuffling through the mass of people for a few minutes, Lucius and Draco stopped outside the bookshop. Lucius turned his head slightly, but not enough to face Draco.

"Get your books. I will be in shortly."

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded and entered the bookshop. His father often sent him off to do his own thing while Lucius disappeared for any length of time. Draco never asked about it, assuming it was of matters that could not be spoken about. He didn't understand any of it, but then again it didn't concern him so why bother trying to figure it out?

As he stepped through the doorway of the shop Draco found it to be unpleasantly crowded. Looking around he saw all of the books on display to be Gilderoy Lockhart's. He picked up a random book in disgust.

_The man has his face plastered all over the place, yet he can't do magic worth a shit!_

Very few people knew of Gilderoy's secret, that he wasn't nearly half of the wizard he claimed to be, and those that did were on the more powerful side. Gilderoy's only talent was for memory charms, which he conveniently used on those who knew his true self. He was smart enough not to mess with power though, and accepted a small fee in exchange for secrecy and not attempting to erase the more predominate wizards and witches' memories. The Malfoys were a part of this handful. It was this money that funded most of his travels that he wrote about in his books, as well as publishing the books themselves.

A sudden jostling of people behind Draco caused him to turn around. Just as he did he saw an all too familiar mess of black hair cross his path. Draco huffed loudly in annoyance.

_Of_ course_ the Boy Wonder would be here…_

Still needing to purchase his books Draco decided the best way to avoid Potter was by waiting out his visit upstairs. After he left Draco could get what he needed without any contact at all. He jumped up the stairs, book still in hand, and made his way to the balcony railing that looked over the packed bookstore. He rested his elbows on the railing and watched the crowd below.

Draco quickly found his assumption before to be correct as he saw a reporter drag Harry from the crowd over to where Lockhart stood signing books. There was a flash of light as the reporter's camera went off. Both Draco's hands gripped the book he held tightly, the corner of his lips curling up in a snarl.

_No matter where he goes Potter always has to be the center of attention, the prat!_

He glanced down at the book he held, Lockhart's smug face grinning ridiculously back at him. Potter's head was directly below. If he just let go…

_No. Stop being childish, Draco. You're above a maneuver like that._

Exhaling slowly, Draco opened the book to a random page. Without reading it he ripped the page out of the book.

_Better._

He looked over the railing and saw Harry smiling along with Granger and a few Weaslys. The whole scene sickened him. Potter was way too happy. Draco suddenly considered it an obligation to put somewhat of a damper on his day. He folded up the ripped page, put it in his pocket and smoothly glided down the stairs to intersect the young wizards before they exited the shop.

"Famous Harry Potter" he spat as he cut off the raven haired boy's path. Harry looked up at Draco and his face fell immediately. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page!" Draco smirked as he saw Harry's jaw tighten.

_Day 1 of getting on Potter's nerves…_

"Leave him alone" a tiny voice challenged. Draco's eyes flashed as he turned toward the youngest of the Weasly herd. His smirk turned into a half grin to see Ginny Weasly take a step forward towards Draco, trying to look menacing.

_Oh, this is just too good to be true._

"Oh look, Potter!" he taunted back, not caring to control the pleasure he got from this from being written all over his face, "You've got yourself a girlfriend!" Draco shifted his eyes back to Ginny whose entire face had suddenly become a very deep shade of red. He would have to remember this and keeps tabs on the two of them. There was always room for fresh material to torment Potter with.

A hard thunk of metal connecting with Draco's shoulder wiped the smile of his face instantly.

"Now, now, Draco, play nicely." Lucius said in a cool tone, pushing Draco aside with the silver snake head of his cane that was still resting on his shoulder. Lucius took a step towards Harry, but before he could say anything Arthur Weasly appeared behind him.

"Kids, it's mad in here. Let's wait outside." He suggested to the group with a wary look at Lucius.

"Well, well, well. Weasly Sr." he sneered.

"Lucius." Arthur replied simply.

The older blonde haired wizard tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. "Busy time at the Ministry, Arthur? I do hope they're paying you overtime. But judging by the state of this," he said grabbing Ginny's battered textbooks from her small cauldron and looking them over, "I would say not." As he slid the books back into the antique pot, Draco noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was another book added to it. He shifted his gaze up to his father's face which gave nothing away.

Lucius took a challenging step forward in Arthur's direction. "What's the point in being a disgrace to the name of wizards if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Draco saw Arthur's expression harden. "We have a very different idea of the disgrace of wizards, _Malfoy_" the red headed wizard shot back. The smirk on Lucius' face disappeared.

"Clearly."

The two elder wizards stared each other down for a moment before Arthur ushered his group out of the bookstore. Draco watched them leave in satisfaction. One thing he did like about his father was his ability to always get the last word in and somehow win the confrontation. It was something Draco had wanted to work on himself.

"Get your books and let's go. I won't have you late for the train" Lucius snapped coldly without looking at his son. Draco nodded and ran to get in line with the rest of the students.

-- --


	2. Year 2: Great Hall

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

Yeah, I'm including small lines and stuff from the movie in my chapters. This is cause I'm gonna be doing a lot of skipping through the years and I figured if I tied in some dialogue from the movie, y'all would assume whatever I didn't write about happened like in the movies. And I do say movies instead of books only cause I have the movies at hand here at school while the books are way back at home. This way I can at least be true to one form of the story. But don't worry, I'll always let you know of a year change at the beginning of the chapter. Now read, enjoy, and review!

Excited chatter filled the Great Hall as all the students of Hogwarts filled their friends in on all the details of their summer adventures over flowing plates of delicious and colorful food. The Hall was decorated beautifully, each house table themed with their respective colors. The ceiling had been bewitched to reflect the true night sky which was clear of clouds, stars sparkling brightly. Even with the darkness of the ceiling the room was very brightly lit with hundreds of floating candles. Everyone seemed thrilled to be back at school. Well, _almost_ everyone…

"Crabbe!" Draco slammed his cup down, whipping his head around to glare fiercely at the large boy sitting beside him. "I swear on Merlin's grave if you don't start chewing with your mouth closed I will personally hex you so your mouth never opens again you disgusting pig!"

Crabbe just shrugged his shoulders and threw a few more pieces of chicken on his plate. Draco stared at him in utter disgust.

"Do they _feed _you at home?"

"Hey, Draco, lay off him." Draco glanced across the table at who he considered to be his only real friend, Blaise Zambini.

"Have you been watching this?" he asked in disbelief, gesturing a hand towards Crabbe who had somehow managed to shove a whole slab of chicken into his mouth. Blaise just shook his head and smirked.

"Calm down, man. His lack of table manners hasn't changed since last year."

Sighing, Draco stabbed a chunk of steak with his fork. "Guess the summer killed my desensitization against it" he grumbled.

As he brought the fork to his mouth he paused, noticing that his other "sidekick", Goyle, had stopped eating. He was staring at something with an odd expression on his face. Draco watched him for a few seconds before clearing his throat. Startled, Goyle jumped and turned toward Draco who raised an eyebrow at him.

"What, your brain stop working again?"

Goyle stared at him, confused. Draco rolled his eyes. "What were you staring at, idiot?"

"Oh," he replied, realization suddenly hitting him, "nothing. I mean, I – um, Potter's not here" he stammered with a finger waving towards the Gryffindor table.

"And?" Draco retorted. Goyle looked down at his plate.

"Maybe the Golden Boy finally got himself killed" Blaise snorted. Crabbe and Goyle laughed quietly before stuffing more food into their mouths. Draco glanced over at the table decked out in red, chewing on his piece of steak thoughtfully.

_The Weasel is gone too…what a surprise_.

He shook his head. What should he care what Potter was up to? Still, he gave the Gryffindor table one last look before turning his attention to his plate.

That night after finally getting all of his stuff settled, Draco laid on his bed in one of the Slytherin boy's dorm rooms. The rooms were cold and simple, the walls made of cracked ancient stones. The only color to be seen in the room's decoration was the emerald green drapes that hung around each of the bedposts. A black iron heater sat in the corner but didn't seem to have much effect on the temperature in the room.

Arms folded behind his head, Draco watched his roommate Blaise brushing his short black hair in front of one of the steel mirrors. He smirked and cocked his head to the side.

"Blaise, even _I'm _not so vain as to get my hair perfect before going to sleep."

"And this is why I'm the better looking one out of the two of us" he answered matter-of-factly as he ran his fingers through his hair one last time, throwing his brush on his bed.

"Hah!" Draco exclaimed with a grin. "You'd like to think so."

Blaise walked past Draco's bed to his own, giving him a smirk and a look of superiority. "And how many girlfriends have _you_ had?"

Giving him a scoff, Draco turned over on his side to face Blaise getting into his bed. "What, and you're thinking you're going to magically get lucky tonight? You only go through so many girls because you're trying to convince everyone you're not gay."

"Metrosexual, Drake" he said with a wink. Draco snorted, laying on his back again.

"Whatever makes you happy."

A moment of silence passed between the two boys before Blaise spoke.

"You wouldn't mind?"

Draco turned his head to face his friend again. "Wouldn't mind what?"

"If I were gay."

Draco sighed. _Way to make things awkward, Blaise…_

"No, I don't suppose so." He saw Blaise nod before turning over again. A couple thickly tense minutes passed.

"…Are you?" Draco finally asked.

"Nope" was the other wizard's simple reply. Draco nodded at the darkness in a sort of approval. It was true, he wouldn't have minded, but the thought made him extremely uncomfortable. He could barely stand the sight of the straight couples making out in the hallways, but if he saw Blaise and a guy…

The thought made him shiver and he quickly crawled into bed, forcing himself to sleep before any other images invaded his mind.

Yeah I know…pretty low-key and not much going on. But hey, you gotta have a few leading chapters! What fun would it be if you got right to the good stuff? ;)


	3. Year 3: Fossey's

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

You ALL know that my favorite thing in the world is reviews so won't you make me happy and tell me what you think so far? Any suggestions, comments, critiques? I appreciate anything and everything you wanna give me :) And you know that whatever I don't write about, it happened just like in the movie/book. Just so ya know. Oh, and a special shout out to kowabungabrittany (go check her out!) for being my beta ^^

YEAR THREE

The summer sun shone brightly on Malfoy Manor, flooding Draco's large and open second story bedroom. The Slytherin green colored curtains flowed rhythmically as a light breeze blew through the few large open windows. The light bounced off his white walls, reflecting on every silver object in the room. The glossy, unscathed chestnut wood floor was strategically covered with well kept oriental rugs. A line of older mahogany bookcases led up to the king sized canopy bed that took up most of the wall it stood against. The canopy curtains were an emerald color, contrasting loyally with the silver canopy legs and bed frame, the second Slytherin color. Draco lazily lay on his stomach across his deep green comforter, his chin resting on a small silver pillow as he concentrated on the movement of his quill scratching out words in his leather-bound book. Across the room, Blaise was rifling through Draco's enormous dark wooden wardrobe. The tiny silver etchings that decorated it glittered in the sunlight.

"Bloody hell…" Draco heard Blaise mutter with his head deep inside the closet.

"Mm?" he hummed questioningly, not looking up from his writing.

"What in Merlin's name is this?"

Draco glanced up to see Blaise pulling out a long black set of robes, dark patterns intricately sewn into the vest portion of it. The robes were clearly outdated and Draco grimaced.

"Dress robes" he grumbled. "They were my father's when he was my age." Blaise held up the robes to himself in measurement.

"Huh. I thought your father would want you to have custom made ones."

Draco smirked. "Yeah, I have a set or two of new robes, too. That's just for sentimental reasons, I suppose."

Blaise looked over the robes once more before tossing them back in the wardrobe and flopping down on the Slytherin colored loveseat in the middle of the room. He stared at the ceiling for a while, the only sound coming from Draco's quill. Blaise sighed loudly.

"Done writing in your diary yet?"

Draco glared at him, raking his fingers through his hair to push away some random loose blonde strands. "It's not a _diary_" he growled. Blaise rolled his eyes and cast off Draco's anger with a wave of his hand.

"Fine. Done writing in your very, very manly journal yet?"

With an annoyed huff Draco slammed his book closed and sat up to face his friend. "Blaise, why do you even come over? You do nothing but go through my things and annoy the hell out of me."

The wizard in question shrugged. "Nothing to do at home. My parents are always out and I don't like being alone."

"Go buy a cat" Draco suggested sarcastically, smoothly sliding off his bed and heading for his bedroom door.

"Ah, but a cat doesn't provide for such engaging conversation!" Blaise taunted with a grin as he jumped up from the couch to follow him out.

As soon as he turned the corner out of the hallway though, he stopped. Draco had frozen at the top of the stairs, his face tense. He crept quietly up beside him and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but the hard look in Draco's eyes kept him silent. Below, a muffled male voice could barely be heard. From experience Draco knew it was his father, probably in his office and by the sound of it, he was pissed. He looked up at Blaise who shrugged. Draco decided he needed to get closer and find out what had his father so upset.

As the pair silently made their way down the stairs, Lucius came storming out of his office. Draco stopped short which caused Blaise to stumble into him with a protesting yelp. Lucius' eyes flashed with fury as his head snapped up to frightened eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked icily.

Draco's light silver eyes widened. "I– we were going to get something to eat in the kitchen" he said quietly.

"Get something in Diagon" he ordered sharply. "I don't have the time or the patience to take you to get your things."

Confusion clouded Draco's expression as he stepped down the rest of the stairs to stand in front of his father. "But, how am I supposed to get there then? Is Mum–"

"You _know_ your mother isn't here, Draco" Lucius snapped. Draco dropped his hands to his sides, giving up.

"Then who's taking me to Diagon? I can't Apparate by myself, you know." Draco bit his lip as he saw his father's jaw set in anger.

"We have a perfectly acceptable fireplace" he replied, his patience clearly long gone. "Use it."

Draco's eyes widened in horrified disbelief. He was at a loss for words. Still on the stairs behind him, Blaise stifled a laugh.

"Father…" he finally choked out, "you can't be serious! _Floo Powder?_ Do you know how demeaning that is? You can't expect me to go as low as the Weaslys and–"

A swift firm strike across Draco's cheek cut him off. The air in the room went deathly still. He took a moment to compose himself before turning back to face his father's blazing eyes through his watery own. Lucius' face was hard as stone.

"You will do as you are told" Lucius threatened in a low voice.

Draco stared up at his father for a moment before moving past him in compliance. Blaise followed quickly behind. Neither of them said anything until they entered the living room. This room was much darker than the other rooms, the light being blocked by thick, deep purple curtains that draped down to the floor. The walls looked like faded velvet, the color undeterminable. Slightly worn couches and armchairs with tall backs sat in a sort of semicircle in front of a large dark wooden desk. The room had a rich but old kind of smell to it. Draco liked to read here when no one was home. It made him feel important, knowing that he was surrounded by a long history of important meetings and decisions made by past Malfoys in this room. He stopped in front of a large graying wooden archway on the far wall that led to a smaller, dimly lit room.

"Wait," Blaise whispered suddenly, "you're really going to use Floo Powder to get to Diagon?"

Draco turned around slowly, the anger obviously written across his face. "I don't really have a choice now, do I?" he snapped in a low voice. "Are you coming?"

Taking one look through the archway at the large white marble fireplace, Blaise shook his head quickly. "Naw, man. I should probably head back home. But you, uh…you have fun." He teased with a grin. Draco grumbled under his breath. He wanted to die rather than face this kind of humiliation, especially if he came out on the other end to someone he knew.

"See you on the train" Blaise called back as he jogged out of the room towards the front door. Draco nodded weakly, entering the side room.

Reluctantly, he picked up the solid black urn-looking jar that held the Floo Powder. The jar gleamed in the pale light, showing off the engraved silver crest of the Malfoy family. Draco lifted the lid and grimaced, taking a handful of the grey ash-like substance. Setting the container down he ducked into the roomy fireplace. Abruptly he realized that this was going to be one of the busiest days in Gringotts, the building this fireplace was connected to. He groaned loudly, feeling like he was going to be sick as he threw down the powder.

"Diagon Alley" he exclaimed with a sigh.

A brilliant flash of lime green flames announced Draco's arrival in Gringotts. He swiftly leapt out of the gold colored stone fireplace, hoping no one would see him. To his dismay he found the bank to be twice as crowded as he expected. Everyone seemed to be rushing around though, unable to spare a second to notice the blonde wizard's entrance. He weaved through the crowds, trying to get to the front doors. As the two impossibly tall metal doors came into view, Draco noticed all the wizards and witches coming in were shaking out their umbrellas, dripping wet. He cursed his father under his breath as he reached the doors, pushing one open in hopes that there would only be a light drizzle on the other side. A sheet of rain and a rumble of thunder contradicted him.

_Of course._ _Well, it's either the rain or waiting here. _

Draco glanced behind him at the mass of bodies taking up the smooth gold tiled floor. He ducked his head and made his way through the downpour.

Keeping his head bowed he slowly maneuvered around deep puddles and mud covered cobblestones, shifting his eyes up briefly to check the store names for the bookshop. He hadn't gone more than a few feet before his outer robes were completely soaked, the water dripping steadily from his hair down his face. He folded his arms tightly against his chest, shivering as the wind blew against his back. Finally, the bookshop came into view. He jogged quickly towards it, only to see though the window that it was packed with people waiting out the rain. Draco huffed in annoyance.

_Why are there so many people in the world?_

Not wanting to stay out in the rain any longer than necessary, Draco quickly tried to think of a place no one would be, even when it's raining. Unfortunately, the only place that came to mind was _Fossey's_. A flash of lightning got Draco swiftly moving in that direction as he tried his best to think of a different place to stay. Nothing had come to mind by the time he stood outside of the unpleasantly familiar rundown bar and restaurant. He took a deep breath and pulled open the door.

A warm glow welcomed Draco into the restaurant. He peeled off his outer cloak, heavy from the amount of rain that soaked into it, and hung it on a coat rack next to the doorway. Not seeing anyone around, Draco took a random empty seat. He shook out his drenched hair and ran his fingers through it, trying to arrange it in an acceptable fashion.

_Damn rain. My hair actually looked good today._

He sighed once he finally got a few wandering blonde stands of hair in their place. Today was not turning out to be as great as he thought it might. He'd been dying to get away from home ever since his father found out Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban. It did nothing but put Lucius is the foulest mood Draco had seen in a long time, and an unhappy Lucius made for an unsettling time at Malfoy Manor.

_Plink, plink_

Draco glanced up to see water steadily dripping from a few small cracks in the roof and falling far below into an old tin bucket. He drummed his fingers on the tabletop in rhythm with it, uncomfortably shifting in his chair. His cold clothes were sticking to him unpleasantly causing a few involuntary shivers through his body.

"_Oh!_ It's you again!"

Draco almost fell out of his chair as he whipped around to the unexpected voice behind him. He caught himself as Fossey ran forward, grabbing his arm forcefully and yanking him out of the chair.

"Oh my hearts and stars! You must be chilled to the bone, poor dear! Come, come, have a sit here by the fire."

She led him over to one of the soft, worn velvet armchairs and gently pushed him into it. With a sweeping wave of her arm, the wood in the fireplace ignited. A few short beckons with her other hand and Draco's chair slid up closer to the growing flames. He felt the warmth engulf him immediately and he sunk back into the chair with a content sigh. Fossey watched him with a motherly smile.

"That's better isn't it? Now what can I get you, my dear? Something warm to help take the edge off the cold?"

Draco just nodded, keeping his eyes on the fire. He waited until he heard her leave to close his eyes, letting the heat wash over him. It felt wonderful. A small smile pulled at his lips as he felt his clothes begin to dry. Then he frowned.

_Is this really the happiest I've felt in a while? How pathetic. A lit fireplace and warm clothes are actually making me smile. _

He opened his eyes and slumped in his seat, resting his head against the back of the chair. Exhaling through his nose, he allowed himself to get lost in the dancing flames.

_I suppose it's not too surprising. What has happened recently that was good? Certainly not my time at home. Father made sure of that. Blaise made things a little better in the beginning, but now he's just a nuisance. _

Bringing up Blaise only made Draco depressed. His lack of real friends had been getting to him a lot recently. It never used to bother him because he always told himself that no one was good enough. Now he had started to realize it was because he never felt comfortable around anyone other than Blaise.

_Great. My only true friend is a closet poof. _

Getting too lost in thought, Draco didn't hear Fossey approach him. He flinched in surprise when a warm mug was placed in his hand.

"Oops! Sorry dear, didn't mean to startle you!"

Draco waved his hand dismissing her apology.

"Something on your mind, love? You seemed a bit preoccupied a moment ago. I don't mean to pry, goodness no! But a young man such as yourself shouldn't have too many problems to worry about! No sir. But if something's bothering you dear, don't be shy! Always happy to lend an ear!"

Draco cupped the mug between his hands and brought it close to his chest, letting the rising steam warm his chin and neck. Whatever the drink was, its spicy smell sent a warming sensation through him as he breathed it in.

"No," he finally answered, "I'm fine."

Fossey's expression had changed from soft to slightly worried. Something told her not to press the subject though, so she left it at that. With a nod of her head she turned and disappeared back into the kitchen. Draco watched her leave before taking a tentative sip of the light brown liquid in his mug. A tasteful array of herbs and spices flooded his mouth. Cinnamon seemed to be the dominant flavor. The tea-like drink was scorching but somehow didn't burn his tongue or mouth. He let it slide down his throat, humming quietly in approval at the delightful heat that followed. He reveled in the feeling for a moment before taking another sip. This time, the main taste was hazelnut.

_Flavor changing tea_, he thought with a grin.

Quick shuffling behind him announced Fossey's return. She beckoned for a small folding table that placed itself in front of Draco's chair. She set down a plain white plate with an almost comically colored creature taking over most of it. Draco raised an eyebrow at it curiously.

"Enjoying your tea dear?" she asked brightly.

"Uh…yeah" he responded, distracted as he tried to figure out exactly what was put in front of him. He couldn't even fathom the answer. "Um, what is this?"

Fossey chuckled to herself. "It's my Foreign Special, dear! Can't find anything like it around here! No sir. Go ahead and try it! It won't bite!"

Draco eyed it suspiciously. From what he could make out, there was a large, bright green snail-like shell covered in blunt, blood-red spikes. What he guessed was the body seemed similar to that of a slug, thick and almost glossy. Numerous thin tentacles were arranged under the body which went from a mauve color to a light blue. Draco couldn't imagine a more ghastly suggestion for a meal. He gave the creature another second of his time before turning his head back toward Fossey.

"Thank you, but perhaps it would be better if I just paid you for it" he suggested.

"Oh don't be silly dear!" she exclaimed, taking out a rag to wipe down the tables with. "It's on the house!"

Draco opened his mouth to refuse, but decided to let it go. He leaned back in the chair and sipped his tea thoughtfully.

_Vanilla._

He glanced at the fork next to the plate, then at the shelled animal, then back to the fork. Taking a deep breath he brought himself forward and picked up the fork. He tried to cut into it using the side of the fork, expecting it to be too rubbery. However it cut quite easily, the inside white and textured in resemblance of fish. He speared the chunk with the fork, hesitating, debating whether or not he should really go through with it. With a slight grimace, he decided to go with it and quickly shoved the piece into his mouth. He breathed in sharply through his nose. The taste was hard to identify but he narrowed it down to a mix of lobster and chicken. The meat seemed to melt pleasantly in his mouth as he chewed and swallowed. He stared at the dish in disbelief.

_Why is this place always empty? I could almost say this is amazing!_

"So! Does my house special get your seal of approval?" she asked across the room with a grin. Draco smirked and slightly nodded his head.

"Yes," he replied, "it's quite good."

Fossey threw her hands up in the air in triumph. "Fabulous! Although I'm not surprised. Not many have a thing to say against my cooking! No sir!" she boasted with a wink.

Draco gave a silent laugh before consuming a few more pieces. Suddenly he froze, feeling that all too familiar tug on his gut telling him his father was looking for him. His face fell and he reluctantly placed his fork on the plate. With a sigh he pushed the chair back, the warmth gradually leaving his body. He placed a few coins on the small table for the tea, pausing to think for a second, and then leaving a few more hidden under the plate for the meal.

"Oh," Fossey said quietly, "must you leave already?" Draco shrugged one of his shoulders.

"School."

"Oh yes, that's right! My, my how time does fly! Yes you best be getting on your way, of course!"

As he reached the door, he stopped and turned toward her. "Thank you" he stated simply. Fossey tipped her head in response.

"Anytime, love. Anytime."

Draco gave her a half smile, grabbing his cloak from the coat rack and exiting the restaurant. The street was littered with puddles but the rain had finally ceased. A few rays of sun found their way through the heavy gray clouds. As he started walking in the direction of Diagon, he stopped short with wide eyes.

_I still haven't bought my books…_

He groaned at his stupidity. Lucius was not going to be pleased.


	4. Year 3: Hogwarts Express

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

Please review? Please?

The mellow whistle of the Hogwarts Express pierced the air as students rushed around Platform 9 ¾. The train attendants hollered out the last call for passengers. Carts of bags and belongings were being swiftly maneuvered to the luggage cars. Parents were shouting quick goodbyes as they ushered their children through the opened doors of the bright red train. The whistle blew one last time before it started to slowly but smoothly pull away from the station. Billowy puffs of white smoke spilled up and out of the engine's smoke stack. A good number of arms and hands could be seen stretching out the large passenger windows waving to the crowds at the platform being left behind. Inside, an out of breath Draco finally found a cabin with some overly familiar faces.

"There you are, Drake! We were beginning to worry you weren't going to make it."

Draco sat down heavily with a sigh of relief next to the short black haired wizard that had spoken. He threw his feet up on the seat opposite, next to where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting.

"Barely" he grumbled. "I got a little distracted and was late getting my books."

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing no one likes us or we may not have been able to promise you such a good seat" Blaise joked with a wink. Draco gave a curt laugh.

The smirk on Blaise's face turned down suddenly when he saw the side of Draco's face. His cheek was ever so slightly bruised. Draco felt his eyes on him so he gave Blaise a "don't bring it up" look. Instead, Blaise turned to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Hey, why don't you guys go find the sweets trolley and get everyone something?"

Goyle scoffed. "Yeah, with what? We're not exactly sent away rich like you guys."

Rolling his eyes Blaise took out a small handful of coins from his pocket and chucked them at Goyle's head. "Beat it" he ordered.

The two boys looked at each other before reluctantly heading out of the cabin. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, Blaise shifted in his seat to fully face the blonde haired wizard. Draco didn't look back.

"I guess your father didn't take too kindly to you being late" he said quietly. Draco gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Not at all" he muttered, crossing his arms loosely against his chest and slumping down into the seat.

Blaise winced at the thought. Then with a careful finger he lightly grazed it across the discolored skin. Draco flinched away.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Blaise looked at him seriously.

"Nothing, I'm just a little worried about you."

"Why, because of this? Blaise, come on. You're going soft on me. My father can get a bit physical, but he would never beat me. A slap at the very most."

Draco hated having to defend his father when it came to his parenting skills because he never saw anything wrong with it. When he deserved it, he was slapped. It wasn't nearly as often as everyone seemed to think and Draco took it without complaint.

"Alright, alright" Blaise said with a sigh, leaning back in his seat. A moment of silence passed between them before Draco shifted his eyes up at him.

"You're going to bring this up again in the future, aren't you?"

Blaise gave him a small nod. "Most likely."

A surrendering breath of air escaped Draco's mouth, dropping the subject and going back to staring at the empty seat across from him. Blaise leaned away from him, resting his elbow on the windowsill and watching the trees whiz past. They sat like this in a comfortable silence, lost in their respective thoughts until the cabin door slid open again.

"It's about bloody time" Draco grumbled, sitting up expecting Crabbe or Goyle to toss him something from the trolley. Instead, he stopped and stared at the body leaning in the doorway. It was definitely not Crabbe or Goyle.

"You guys mind if I join you?" the tiny voice asked sweetly. Blaise's face lit up.

"Not at all, Pansy! Come right in!"

The petite black haired witch practically skipped to the seat opposite him, but then shifted down a bit to be closer to Draco.

"Hello" she said with a hand outstretched in Draco's direction. "I'm Pansy Parkinson."

He took a quick look at Blaise before reaching out and lightly shaking her hand. "Draco Malfoy" he answered stiffly. She giggled.

"I know who you are, silly! There aren't many who don't know the Malfoys."

Draco smirked. _I'll bet_. He looked her over.

"I've seen you around school before."

"Oh!" she squeaked. "You have?" Her cheeks went slightly pink. Draco would have thought it to be cute if he didn't feel that something was terribly off-putting about this girl.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Duh, of course you've seen her around. She's a Slytherin."

"Ah" Draco murmured absentmindedly, trying to figure out why she was rubbing him the wrong way when he hadn't even formally met her before.

"Well I don't often spend much time in the common room, but people do tend to say that my face is pretty unforgettable!" she chimed with a flip of her straight, shoulder length hair, flashing a bright smile Draco's way.

_Bingo. _

If it was one thing Draco couldn't stand in a girl, it was incredible self-centeredness. This girl had it written all over her flawless, painted face. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed and almost getting a feeling of disappointment. The thought of having a girlfriend had recently become, not a personal need, but almost a necessity. He wasn't sure how long he could keep a high status among his peers if he was never even seen with a girl. Almost as in a response to him leaning back, Pansy scooted herself forward in her seat. She was answering questions from Blaise about her summer, but she kept her dark eyes on Draco. He exhaled slowly through his nose.

_It may not be pretty, but accepting Pansy into our little group might be able to prolong my bachelor status…_

In all honesty he really wasn't interested in a relationship. He much preferred being alone and not having to consider anyone else in his thoughts or actions. It was much easier when he only had himself to tend to.

The sudden screeching sound of the train's brakes brought Draco back from his thoughts. The trio exchanged confused glances.

"There's no way we're there yet…" Blaise mused.

An abrupt stop jerked Draco and Blaise back against their seats. Pansy flew forward dramatically with a squeak of surprise, landing conveniently in between the two boys. Draco tried to shift over to put some much needed space between them, but he quickly found that she had sat on the end of his robe, thus keeping him glued to her side.

"It's starting to get really dark really fast" Pansy whined as she looked out the window, biting her lip nervously.

As soon as she spoke the cabin lights flickered sporadically before dying out all together. Pansy whimpered quietly, leaning against Draco. He was not looking forward to the rest of the train ride if she was going to be this touchy-feely with him.

All of a sudden the door slammed open and all three jumped simultaneously. Pansy cried out in alarm at the large dark figure in the doorway as Draco whipped out his wand shouting _Lumos!_ The blinding light emitted from the tip filled the cabin causing everyone to squint and shield their eyes.

"Blimey, Malfoy cut it out! We can't see!"

Recognizing Crabbe's voice, Draco angrily muttered _Nox_ and extinguished the light.

"Fucking hell," he growled as the two boys with armfuls of candy entered and sat down, "you guys almost gave us bloody heart attacks!"

"I'm pretty sure I had one" Blaise groaned with his head in his hands. Pansy was on the verge of hyperventilating, her hand over her heart.

Crabbe and Goyle mumbled apologies before occupying their mouths with some of the candy they had bought. Blaise grabbed a few pieces as well, offering some to Pansy. Draco just stared out the window, the darkness illuminated slightly by a dim blue light coming from somewhere outside. A cold shiver traveled up and down his spine. He turned his attention toward Pansy who was noisily sucking on a lollipop. She looked up at him slyly.

"Want to share?" she asked flirtatiously, offering the lollipop to him.

Draco shook his head slowly, ignoring the question. "I can see your breath."

Drawing her eyebrows together in confusion, Pansy exhaled. The light gray wisps of air floated toward the center of the group before dispersing. It suddenly started to get very cold very fast. Pansy huddled against Draco's side. Goyle cupped his hand together and blew into them, trying to warm them up. Blaise wrapped his robe around himself.

"Hey look!"

Everyone turned toward Crabbe by the window who was pointing at the window. The glass seemed to be quickly fogging over. Blaise swiped a finger across the clouded window leaving a trail behind.

"It's ice" he said in surprise, looking up at Draco.

All of a sudden a giant black shadow flew past the window outside. Pansy gasped loudly and stared at the frozen glass along with everyone else. No one said a word. Draco finally broke the silence.

"What the hell is going on?"


	5. Year 3: Slytherin Dorm

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

It's a slow and steady process, but I hope you're enjoying it so far. Review and let me know what you guys think!

The Great Hall was eerily silent as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore addressed the entire student body. Every eye was on him as he spoke of the Ministry's recent activity with the escape of Sirius Black. When he began to explain that Dementors were going to be hanging around the school, the tables began buzzing with words of disbelief, fear, anger, and horror. A brief raise of the headmaster's hand quieted everyone in seconds.

"The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds." He explained in a low but commanding voice.

"Pst, Draco."

The blonde haired wizard turned next to him to the girl practically leaning across Goyle's lap.

"What?" he hissed in annoyance.

Pansy pouted. "Well there's no need to get snippy! I just wanted to pass down the news I heard from some 5th year girls that told me Harry Potter fainted on the train."

Draco just stared at Pansy as the news set in. Then a wide grin slowly broke over Draco's face.

_No fucking way._

"While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities."

"Are you serious?" Draco whispered, unable to even begin to control the broad smile he bore.

Pansy nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah. That thing we saw outside the train? It was a Dementor. Potter saw it and passed out."

"Oh man" he laughed, "Pansy I could kiss you for that."

Pansy giggled like a maniac while Draco swiveled his body around to face the Gryffindor table. Potter's back was directly in view as he listened intently to Dumbledore's words.

"Under no circumstances are you to approach them."

"Potter!" Draco whispered harshly.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving."

Grabbing a grape from the table, Draco gave a quick look at Dumbedore before tossing it at Potter's back.

"Oi! Potter!"

Harry flinched as the grape hit his back and he turned to face the culprit.

"What, Malfoy?"

Crabbe and Goyle twisted around to face the raven haired wizard.

"Is it true? Did you really faint?"

Putting the back of his hand to his head, Goyle feigned an overly dramatic faint. Draco and a few surrounding Slytherins chuckled quietly. A feeling of triumph washed over him as he saw Harry's jaw set in anger. He smirked as Hermione grabbed Harry's arm to turn him around, shooting a death glare at the blonde.

_It's going to be a good year._

"Hey."

Draco turned his head from his spot on his bed to see Blaise enter through the dorm door. The black haired wizard threw his bag on his own bed before falling on his back alongside Draco with a dramatic sigh. The second boy lay on his stomach writing in his leather bound book, facing the faded Salazar Slytherin tapestry that hung on the stone wall.

"How was Herbology?" he asked, turning his attention back to his book.

Blaise made a pained sound in his throat. "Torture. I swear that woman is off her rocker."

Draco snorted as he finished his last sentence with a flourish and closed his book. Sliding it under his pillow he turned over on his side, supporting his head in his hand to face his friend.

"How 'bout you?"

Draco shrugged. "First day back. Nothing special. Snape was as moody as ever, so that was enjoyable."

Blaise smirked. "At least he likes you."

"Likes? Snape doesn't _like_ anyone. He _tolerates_ me."

"Fine. You're still a teacher's pet who decided not to change his schedule to take Potions with his best friend."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Because then I would only have one class today. If I followed your schedule I would have three classes in a row" he retorted.

Blaise rolled over, grinning at him. "Nah, I know why you chose to have it today."

"Oh?" Draco asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

"Harry Potter."

An intense glare was Draco's only answer. Satisfied to see he had struck a nerve, Blaise lay on his back again, looking up at the ceiling with a triumphant grin.

"I knew it."

"You don't know anything" he growled back.

"Defensive much?"

Draco opened his mouth then shut it with a snap, anger written all over his face. Blaise just smiled to himself.

"So, you gonna tell me why? Or am I going to have to start a few rumors to my own preference?"

"There's nothing to tell" he answered quickly.

"Alright then," Blaise said with a huff, pushing himself off the bed and heading to the door, "let the Harry/Draco secret love scandal commence." He pulled opened the heavy stone slab and stuck his head out into the hallway. "Oi, Theo!" he shouted in the direction of another dorm room.

Draco launched himself off the bed, getting to the door in two strides. He yanked Blaise into the room and shoved him up against the door, slamming it shut. Blaise's head smacked back against the stone behind him. His eyes flashed as he glared daggers at the wizard inches away from him, jamming his wand under his chin.

"Hey man, take it easy" Blaise said with a small nervous laugh, eyeing Draco's wand that was painfully being pressed into his skin.

Draco's lips curled back in a snarl, his dark silver eyes searching the face in front of him. Then he turned away and stalked to the middle of the room, running a hand through his hair. The simply carved light chestnut stick he gripped tightly in his fist.

"Take my head off why don't you…" Blaise mumbled, carefully walking forward and rubbing the back of his head. "I think I'm bleeding."

"No you're not, you great wuss" Draco muttered. He calmed his breathing before moving to place his wand on his bedside table. Pulling out the leather book he was writing in before from under his pillow, he jumped up on his bed, using his pillows to prop himself up. Blaise just scoffed and pivoted where he stood, heading for the door.

Draco sat straight up. "Where are you going?" he almost yelled.

"Oh I'm _sorry_ your majesty" Blaise shot back, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Relax. I'm not going out to threaten the royal reputation you seem to hold on to so dearly. I'm just going down to dinner. Show up if it's not _too_ much trouble."

Draco narrowed his eyes at him until the door closed and he was left alone. With an exasperated sigh he cracked open his book and let the pages fall to his last entry. The small, precise black inked letters graced across the page. Metal gray eyes found the spot they were searching for. After reading it over a few times, Draco lifted his eyes to a spot on the wall and lost himself in thought.

_Yes, I hate him furiously. However, I'm willing to put up with a year of being in the same room as him if it means keeping tabs on his successes. If I can keep myself ahead and besting Potter at everything he attempts, maybe Father will recognize it. I'll do what I can to get that small nod of approval._


	6. Year 3: Forbidden Forest

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

I can't stress enough how much I would totally LOVE reviews from you guys! Really! It would make me very happy! So please, won't you review? Oh and unfortunately I don't have the movie available to me at the moment but I didn't want you guys to have to wait for these chapters so I'm going off a script of the third movie I found. Of course, I don't claim to own any of it, dialogue or otherwise.

The campus of Hogwarts was littered with students in their white uniform shirts, wandering around the green lawns and enjoying the warmth of the sun. The sky was virtually cloudless, the only obstructions to the sun's rays being small flocks of birds that sang joyful tunes as they glided around the castle's towers. Although the majority of the students stayed close to the stone gardens of the school, a handful could be seen making their way down the hill toward the Forbidden Forest.

At the edge of the forest through a few spaced out trees stood a cluster of 3rd year students. Hagrid towered over them, beckoning with a giant hand for a few straggling students behind the group to join them.

"Gather 'round now everyone. Find yerself a spot. That's it. Got a real treat for yeh. Great lesson comin' up. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books an' –"

"How exactly do we do that?" Draco interrupted, giving Hagrid a look.

"Blimey, all yeh've got ter do is stroke th' spine!" he answered with a laugh like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Draco just shook his head and looked down at the oversized book he held. "Book" was hardly the word he would use to describe it. It had light brown fur on all sides and it seemed to have eyes. He couldn't hold it up to see if it did because it would launch itself at his face. If it weren't for the thick leather strap that kept the book close, he was pretty sure it would attach itself to his head. It wouldn't have been surprising if it had fangs. The book shook violently in his hands. With a glance behind him, Crabbe hesitantly dragged his pudgy fingers down the spine of his book. It shivered then quieted. Draco took this as a good sign, so he gripped his own book with one hand and ran two slender fingers down the book's spine. The book shivered spastically in his hand before going still. Draco raised an eyebrow at it as he carefully unbound the book from its leather holding. He could have sworn he heard it purr as it sat calmly in his hand.

"Righ', well, I better get the eh, yeh know, visual…lesson…I'll be righ' back" Hagrid mumbled mostly to himself, striding off quickly out of sight.

With his crew in tow, Draco found a spot under the shade of a large tree, separated from the rest of the group. He watched in amusement as the rest of the students tried their luck at taming the wild textbooks. Up ahead he saw Potter, Weasley and Granger, together as usual. With a sly grin he decided to take the opportunity to strike one of Potter's sensitive nerves.

"God, this place is going to the dogs." He said just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Wait until my father hears Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes."

The group of Slytherins snickered and Draco saw Harry slowly turn towards him, his face fuming.

"Shut up, Malfoy" he threatened.

"Oh-ho! What a comeback!" Draco jeered.

He shrugged off his shoulder bag and handed it to Crabbe. With a taunting smirk he sauntered over to where Harry stood clenching his fists. He had planned to confront him with a few low-key insults just to get him flustered, but another idea came to him that was too perfect to pass up. With wide, terrified eyes Draco looked up past Harry and suddenly pointed up toward the air.

"D – Dementor! Dementor!"

The Slytherins burst out laughing as Potter wheeled around in horror, almost losing his balance as he frantically searched the sky. Draco nudged Crabbe and Goyle and the three of them flipped their robe hoods over their heads making exaggerated ghost sounds. Harry's face went pink in embarrassment as Hermione pulled him away. The platinum blonde felt oddly content as he watched Harry's two best friends usher him to the other side of the group.

A large rustling noise brought the group's attention to the wide clearing in front of them. Hagrid appeared with a wide grin on his face. Behind him, strutting out from behind a tree entered a giant creature, half eagle and half horse.

"Ta-da!" a proud Hagrid said with arms wide. The group of students simultaneously took a weary step backwards.

"Hagrid," Ron spoke looking at the beast fearfully, "what exactly is that thing?"

Draco knew what it was, but he had only seen one once before and it was a wild, angry creature.

_He can't be serious…_

"That, Ron, is a Hippogriff!" Hagrid answered excitedly. " 'is name is Buckbeak. Now, one very important thing ter remember about Hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures. Don't want ter go upsettin' 'em. They can be a most deadly ah creatures when insulted."

Draco swallowed hard, shifting his eyes to see the reactions of the rest of the group. Everyone was stone silent, most of the faces white with fear. Trying to maintain a relaxed composure by breathing slowly through his nose, Draco watched with the rest of the students as the beast spread its giant wings as it reached up to catch a dead animal Hagrid had thrown it.

"Now!" Hagrid exclaimed with a clap of his hands, "Who'd like ter say 'ello?"

Immediately the cluster of frightened wizards and witches backed up, not wanting to be picked to confront the animal before them. Harry, too mesmerized with the beast didn't notice the movement behind him. It wasn't until he looked around he realized that he stood alone.

"Good man, 'arry! Come on up 'ere!"

When Draco saw that Harry was going to be the first to confront the Hippogriff, he quickly shoved a few 3rd years aside to get a front row view. He wasn't about to miss the Boy Wonder getting ripped to shreds. Crabbe and Goyle took their places on either side of him, roughly pushing students out of the way.

As Harry tentatively approached the fidgeting and cawing Buckbeak, Draco subconsciously held his breath, flinching along with the rest of the crowd every time the bird snapped his menacing beak in Harry's direction. He cheered it on when the creature took a giant, threatening leap forward. Then he sulked against a tree when everyone clapped for Potter's success in petting the great brute. He glared at the pair as they took off into the sky, hoping Potter would come back with a limb missing or not at all. Not only did Harry return flying back in one piece, but his beaming smile put Draco over the edge. He got up from his seat among the tree roots, shoving past the hooting and hollering students cheering their congratulations.

"Oh please," Draco muttered angrily, rolling his eyes and striding toward the prancing Hippogriff, "that's not so hard!" He stood before the immense animal that had its attention focused on the dead treat Hagrid had thrown him. "You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute…"

"_Malfoy! No!" _

Hearing Hagrid's shouts, Buckbeak lost interest in his food and noticed the small blonde wizard standing in front of him. Outraged, he reared back, screeching his shrill, rusty warning call and clawing the air. Sharp, curved black talons glinted in the sunlight as they were raised high and brought down on Draco's arm that he had held up in protection of his face. He shrieked in pain as one of the claws slashed through his robe sleeves and sliced into his skin. Clutching his arm Draco fell to the ground, rolling in agony.

"Oh god, it's killed me! It's killed me!" he whimpered in a high pitched voice.

Hagrid rushed forward slightly panicked, unsure of what to do. "Yer, yer fine! Jus' a scratch!" he tried to reassure the profusely bleeding boy on the ground.

"Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed sternly, "He has to be taken to the hospital!"

Scooping up a limp Draco, Hagrid strode as quickly as he could past the murmuring group of students.

"Er, class dismissed!" he shouted back, hastily making his way out of the forest toward the castle.

"You're going to regret this!" Draco cried out, "You and your bloody chicken!"

He moaned and groaned the whole way up the hill, becoming overly boisterous as they entered the crowded halls of Hogwarts. By the time they made it to the hospital wing, about half the student body had their own ideas of what happened to the "dying" Draco Malfoy. When they got to the large, iron metal doors Hagrid raised one of his oversized boots and kicked both doors open.

"MADAME POMFREY!"

"Rubeus! Hush!" a low but firm female voice answered. The school nurse, Madame Pomfrey, came rushing from behind one of the many white curtains that separated the sick beds. She did not look happy. "I will not have you bellowing and carrying on in such a way in my hospital! My patients need peace and quiet just as much as they need tending to!"

Hagrid's face went red in embarrassment.

"Now," she said with a huff, wiping her hands on her white nurses' apron, "what do we have here?"

"Ah, jus'…jus' a minor scratch is all…"

"A _scratch?_" Draco shouted, "Your bloody pigeon almost took my arm off!"

Madame Pomfrey pointed a stern finger at the blonde. "Silence, Mr. Malfoy. Bring him over here, Rubeus."

Following the older stout woman dressed all in white and light blue, Hagrid half dropped Draco onto one of the beds. Pomfrey swiftly stripped Draco of his outer robes to get to his white shirt, the arm of it soaked blood red.

"I've seen worse" she said simply, removing her wand from her apron pocket. Pointing it at the dyed sleeve she twirled it in a tight circle then drew a line down Draco's arm. The fabric ripped cleanly as it followed the tip of her wand and fell to the floor.

"Rubeus, you may go. I'll take it from here. Oh Mr. Malfoy, stop groaning! Whatever it was didn't even hit the bone!"

_There has to be a bone showing for it to constitute being painful? Is she kidding?_

Hagrid silently bowed out while Pomfrey busied herself gathering tiny potion-filled flasks, a small wooden bowl and tight bunches of herb-looking plants. Into the bowl she poured a bubbling red potion, a rosy pink potion and a few drops of a thick lime green potion. She stuck a small wooden spoon into the colorful liquid and spun her finger around, causing the spoon to stir on its own. As it spun she ripped apart the thin green leaves with nimble fingers and sprinkled them into the mixture. Draco kept himself immersed in what she was doing to try to take his mind off the pain. He watched as the tiny bits of leaves dissolved into the now purple remedy. From a drawer in the nightstand next to the bed, Madame Pomfrey took out a long white cloth, neatly folded. She replaced the spoon in the bowl with this bandage, turning it slowly over in the potion until it was all soaked up. The cloth remained white.

"Alright dear, hold out your arm."

With shaking hands Draco lifted up his arm and she skillfully wrapped the cold, wet bandage tightly around the wound. Draco gasped and clenched his teeth, the healing potion burning the gash on his arm. She brushed her hand over the end of the dripping fabric and it sealed itself to the wrapping.

"It's going to sting for most of the day. The bandage will unravel on its own when you're fully healed. That should be sometime tonight. In the meantime," she added as she reached for a white cotton sling, "keep your arm in this to minimize the pain. The less you move it, the faster it will heal, alright?"

Draco nodded once, allowing the nurse to tie the sling around his neck and gently place his arm inside it.

"Come see me again if it still isn't healed by morning."

Silently Draco stood up and walked out of the hospital, thoughtfully looking down at his wrapped arm. As pissed as he was about the injury, he knew he could use this to his advantage. Slytherin sympathy was a given, and he could probably get some loving attention from the Hufflepuffs. Maybe even a few Ravenclaws if he played it up enough. More importantly, how could he get this under Potter's skin?

_He certainly has a soft spot for that giant pain-in-the-ass Hagrid…_

Suddenly a sly grin found its way across Draco's face.

_I'm sure my father would _love_ to hear about this. Probably get the great oaf sacked. That would break poor Potter's heart. Perfect. _


	7. Year 3: Gryffindor Dorm

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

Hope you guys are enjoying it so far :) I found my pad of paper with all my chapter notes! Yee!

"Why so glum, Potter?"

Harry tore himself away from his troubling thoughts to address the all too familiar smug voice behind him. Draco and his cronies were exiting the Great Hall behind him, their cocky attitudes present as they made their way towards him. He turned to Ron and Hermione.

"I'll catch up with you later, guys." he said in a low voice.

"Are you sure?" Hermione whispered. Harry looked up at the smirking blonde with a sling around his neck. He just nodded so his friends gave Draco one last glare before heading down one of the long hallways. Watching them go, Harry finally turned to the snickering group.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" He really didn't need this right now, especially after just finding out that Sirius Black was spotted near Hogwarts.

"Aww," Draco pouted teasingly, "Is the poor little Golden Boy mad that I jeopardized his favorite professor's job? Don't blame me, Potter. If it were up to me, I would have sacked the great ugly giant _years_ ago."

The muscles in Harry's jaw flexed. "Sod off, Malfoy" he growled through clenched teeth.

Draco tilted his head to the group behind him, giving them permission to leave for their next class.

"You gonna make me? With what army, Potter?" With deliberate steps Draco slowly made his way over to where the raven haired wizard stood. "Granger and Weasel aren't here to watch your back. Think you can take me?"

Eyes shifting around, Harry realized the hallway was empty. Only the two of them stood there. Still, he refused to be intimidated.

"You're just a lot of talk" he retorted, matching Draco's speed moving toward him, "Just like you've played up that 'injury' of yours."

"Well it was all for a good cause."

"And what cause is that?"

A smirk played across Draco's face as they stood a foot away from each other.

"I'm doing the school a favor! Now that my father knows how dangerous a beast like that is, he'll take it upon himself to make sure that thing is destroyed."

Harry's face fell as he thought about how this was going to crush Hagrid.

"Don't worry, Potter. Once he's dead he can join your dear old parents. I'm sure they've always wanted a pet!"

Before he could react, Draco was forcefully shoved backwards, stumbling into the marble wall behind him. The torches that lit the hallway exploded before fizzling out in wisps of smoke. The only light now came through the large windows from the cloudy skies. It was significantly darker but it was enough so Draco could see Harry's shoulders hunched, rising and falling quickly as he drew in angry breaths.

"You're asking for it, Potter" he warned darkly.

"My parents," Harry managed to say through gritted teeth, "have been dead for almost my _entire life_. And I _know_ that they still care about me more than your parents _ever_ will."

Draco's silver eyes flashed as he grabbed Harry by the shirt with his free hand and swung him around, slamming him up against the wall. He leaned in so close Harry wasn't able to reach his wand in his robe pocket without touching Draco, which he thought might set him off.

"You fucker" Draco hissed through snarling breaths, "Don't you _ever_ talk about my family like that. You're just lucky that bitch bird cut my wand hand or you would be _dead_, Potter. You hear me?"

He was waiting for another physical confrontation as he glared daggers at the wizard in front of him, but Harry just stared back at him with wide, bright emerald eyes. His body had frozen, fearfully looking into the pale face only an inch or two away from his own. Draco felt a twinge of disappointment, almost hoping Harry would have had the guts to pick a fight with him.

"_Now_ looks who's all talk" he whispered with a sneer, releasing his hold on Harry's shirt and placing his hand against the wall next to the mass of messy black hair.

Harry's breath caught, shifting his eyes nervously to the arm brushing against his hair then back to Draco's piercing gaze. The blonde furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. A heavy silence encompassed the room as the two stood face to face. The only sound between them was Harry's shaky, audible breathing.

"What's wrong with you?" Draco questioned skeptically, his mouth close enough that his breath moved a few strands of black hair on Harry's forehead.

Harry swallowed hard as his face began to turn pink. He flexed his hands, palms slightly moist with sweat. Draco noticed how Harry's body flinched and stiffened every time he spoke. He was gracing his stare from the fiercely green orbs behind clear glass down to the boy's slightly parted lips when he suddenly realized two things that disturbed him deeply. One, Harry wasn't acting like this because he was scared, and two, he should _not_ be spending so much time going over the specific details of his rival's face. With a jerk, Draco pushed himself away from the wall and quickly stepped backwards. His eyes searched the ground for an exit line, running his hand through his loose blonde hair and trying to avoid Harry's frightened stare.

"Next time you try something like that, Potter," he mumbled quickly, "make sure you've grown a fucking spine first."

Harry said nothing as he leaned against the wall, slightly stunned. Trying to keep his cool, Draco rushed off down the hallway with his hand pressed against his quivering stomach.

_Shit._

Late that night, the dungeons of the Slytherin dormitories were peacefully silent with everyone deep in sleep. Everyone, that is, except for one. Draco rolled over in his bed, causing the frame to squeak, in order to check his clock.

_3 am. Damn. _

He let his body drop with an exasperated sigh. As he stared up at the blackened ceiling, he let his mind play through his encounter with Harry for the hundredth time. The queasy feeling at the bottom of his stomach still hadn't lessened. Why was he feeling so weird about this? Finding out that Potter is a poof should have him dancing on the rooftops. Instead of exuberance, he felt an odd kind of anger. An overload of confusion made his head spin painfully and he groaned quietly, glancing at his clock again. The bed squeaked with his movement.

"Can you please finish so I can finally get some sleep?"

Draco flinched at the suddenness of Blaise's voice.

"What?" he hissed back.

"You've been jerking off for over 2 hours" he replied groggily, "You could at least have the decency to do that in the lavatory. Or at least limit your motions so your bed's creaking doesn't keep me awake."

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "That's not what I'm doing, idiot."

"Then can it _please_ wait till morning? I'm going to look like shit tomorrow at this rate."

Draco sighed and Blaise turned over in his bed with a huff. The blonde haired wizard reluctantly rolled over onto his side, staring at his clock's black second hand as it clicked past the numbers.

"Yeah," he whispered, "I suppose it can."

With that, Draco drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

"Harry, would you quit pacing?"

The raven haired boy looked up suddenly at his weary best friend.

"It's 3am and you're going to wear a hole in the floor."

He stopped his pattern across the Gryffindor dorm floor and gave the redhead an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Ron. Just can't sleep."

"Ah, no worries mate" Ron said with a giant yawn, "I know what's bothering you."

Harry's heart stopped, staring at his friend with wide eyes and swallowing thickly. "You…do?"

Ron nodded sleepily with his eyes half closed. "Sirius Black can't get to you here, mate. Don't worry. Dumbledore won't allow it."

A slow, relieved breath exhaled through Harry's lips. "Yeah…right. Thanks, Ron. Sorry I woke you."

"S'alright" Ron mumbled with another yawn before rolling over and falling asleep instantly.

Harry made his way back over to his own bed, sitting on the edge and staring out the small window into the darkness that peacefully covered the school grounds. That night, Harry dreamed he was being chased by something, but every time he turned around to see what it was, all he saw was a ball of white. As he was chased through a never-ending forest, he felt both fear and worry. The worry that he felt wasn't because he was worried the thing behind him would catch him, but rather worry that it would disappear forever. Harry woke up with such an overwhelming flurry of emotions and exhaustion, he had to run to the bathroom to be sick. There was an uneasy feeling present that told him this was just the first of many dreams to come.


	8. Year 3: Potions

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

Heeeyy guys…I know it's been a looong while. Sorry about that, but I've been working! Trying to get back into the story so my apologies if a few of the upcoming chapters aren't totally up to par. I hope you can still enjoy it though!

Crowds of students hastily parted like the Red Sea as they saw Draco storming down the hallway, his passé jogging behind him trying to keep up. He shoved violently past the slower unsuspecting first years, disregarding each angry protest. The Potions classroom door slowly came into view and Draco saw that it was opened.

_Pity. I had hoped I would get to kick something in today. _

He entered the room with his robes billowing behind him, dropping his books with a loud thud onto the desk and sitting heavily down in the stool. He flicked his eyes up to where Potter's usual seat was and released an angry huff of breath when he saw the famous round glasses quickly shifting to look away.

_Potter's not getting away that easily…_

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel Draco's cold eyes boring into him. A strong desire to meet his stare tugged at him, but he forced himself to fight it. Instead, he tried to focus completely on his notes on what Snape was droning on about. Too bad he couldn't grasp on to any of the professor's words…

"Malfoy really seems to have it out for you today" Hermione whispered, nudging Harry's elbow.

Her voice and contact broke Harry's concentration and he glanced up to where the blonde was sitting, glaring at him. As their eyes met, Draco's upper lip twitched into a snarl. Harry quickly dropped his head again, his face starting to feel warm.

_Whoops. _

"I wonder what his problem _this_ time is" she muttered sarcastically.

"Who knows" Harry grumbled, stifling a yawn. Hermione turned slightly to look at him.

"Didn't sleep again last night?"

Harry dully shook his head. "It's these weird dreams I keep having. Every time I have them I wake up more tired than before."

A wave of concern washed over Hermione's face. "Do you think it has anything to do with Sirius? Or…You Know Who?"

Harry bit his lip. "I don't think so. I don't feel scared or any danger in these dreams. I'm just…running."

Hermione hummed thoughtfully before the two of them quickly went back to scratching notes on their parchment as Snape drifted by.

_I have to run._

_I have to keep running. _

_I can't stop. _

_I'm so tired. _

_So tired of running. _

_Blindingly white trees are flying past. They look like they're glowing. _

_It's chasing me. I know it's behind me. _

_I don't want to run though. _

_I want to stop. _

_I want everything to stop moving._

"_Don't..."_

_It spoke?_

"_Don't stop running"_

_But I want to see you._

"_Not yet…"_

Harry woke up with a gasp, shuddering and sitting up in bed, propping himself up with his elbows. Letting his breathing come heavily but slowly, he tried to slow his pounding heart.

_That was new…_

A hint of a smile found its way across Harry's face. Anxiousness and excitement mixed pleasantly in the pit of his stomach. His eyes searched the darkness curiously. He felt such…relief? But why? Pressing his palm to his forehead to try and rid himself of the fuzzy feeling, he rolled over to check the time.

_4am._

He let out a sigh as his head fell back into his pillow which suddenly felt like heaven. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest and he fell asleep almost instantly, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.


	9. Year 3: Great Hall

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter.

Harry bounded down the dormitory stairs into the bright, sun-drenched Gryffindor common room. Ron and Hermione were waiting by the stone arch doorway. He smiled and gave them a wave as his jumped the last step to meet them.

"Well, you're certainly chipper this morning" Hermione pointed out with a raise of her eyebrow. She hugged her text books to her chest as the trio exited out to the maze of staircases.

"Just had a good night's sleep is all" he replied with a grin.

Ron rolled his bloodshot eyes. "You've been like this for two weeks. No one has _that_ many good nights." He stifled a yawn. "Pretty annoying, really. I hate morning people."

Harry laughed and nudged the redhead who only grumbled back. The raven haired boy glanced thoughtfully into space. He really had been feeling more upbeat than usual when he woke up, and he was pretty sure he knew the reason why.

_My dreams…_

The mysterious voice that had first talked to him not that long ago in his dreams had become a little chattier recently. It seemed to fill him with an almost giddy kind of excitement.

_He promised I would get to see him soon…he said he was going to stop chasing me._

It actually made him look forward to falling asleep now. Usually he would dread it, as those are the times when he felt the most vulnerable. He had no control over his dreams or what they would be about…and they had a tendency to be unpleasant and downright frightening. These bright, white-washed dreams were a nice change.

"Oof!"

Harry gasped, the wind knocked out of him as the entire side of a student's body collided into his chest.

"Hey! Caref- "

Shocked silver eyes flashed in the reflection of circular lenses. They quickly narrowed.

Malfoy sneered. "Walk much, Potter?" He gave Harry a glace over before gliding past into the dining hall.

"S-Sorry" Harry managed to breathe after the black flowing robes.

Bubbling cheerfulness was quickly replaced by twisting, wrenching pain in his gut. The skin on his chest that had taken Malfoy's impact was tingling slightly. His heart was fluttering.

"So rude" Hermione said with a sigh, shaking her head. Harry just grimaced and continued into the chatter-filled hall toward the familiar Gryffindor faces.

The Slytherin blonde scoffed at the eggs and bacon on his plate. The sight and smell were making him sick. His stomach, which had only moments before been begging to be fed, now churned uncomfortably. Trying to look elsewhere only resulted in constantly being drawn to the back of that familiar, despised mass of messy black hair. The blonde's light grey eyes narrowed, burning a hole of hatred through his skull. For a moment he thought he saw his rival's shoulders hunch in a shiver before turning slightly to glance out of the corner of those bright green eyes. Draco forced himself to hold eye contact, staring, glaring unwaveringly trying to make Potter feel as uncomfortable as possible. Everyone around the two seemed to disappear as he held that moment, focusing only on Potter, watching the boy wince but somehow unable to look away. It was this small sense of satisfaction of holding a bit of power over Potter that kept Draco sane. The grasp was broken though, after what had seemed like several minutes, as Harry's eyes quickly dropped the floor and turned to face his plate again. Draco frowned and let his eyes fall unhappily to his own. He shoved away his food with a scoff and a frustrated clang against the surrounding plates.

"The eggs say something offensive about your hair?"

Draco flicked his eyes up to glare at Blaise's grin. A swing of his leg over the Slytherin bench spun his body to leave. Blaise stood up.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"Not hungry anymore" Draco mumbled as he stalked off.

Blaise jogged after him, following the length of the green and silver table and out the Great Hall doors. As soon as wandering students seemed to disappear, Blaise grabbed the crook of Draco's arm and swung him around.

"Draco-"

The blonde quickly shoved him back,

"Stop shadowing me everywhere, Blaise" he growled into his friend's face, "You're really starting to piss me off."

A slight pout emerged from Blaise's lips. "Well excuse me for caring."

"You never have before. Why now?"

Blaise just bit his lip, staring back in silence.

"Fine."

As Draco turned to storm off again, Blaise's hand instinctively reached out toward him.

"I just…"

The annoyed Slytherin pivoted again and crossed his arms with a huff. His eyebrow raised in wait. Blaise looked around before stepping closer.

"I'm just worried that your head may be in the wrong place" he replied in a hushed tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, just the way you've been acting, especially when you see…"

Draco's eyes suddenly grew very cold. A quiet cough escaped from Blaise's throat.

"You know what I'm getting at then. I just…want to make sure your head is in the right place, not wandering off to thoughts it has no business in thinking about."

Steel eyes flashed. "How _dare_ you. To even _suggest_ that I…"

Draco's mouth opened and closed, stolen of words. With a final glare he decided the best reply was none at all and left his worried friend behind, stalking toward the Slytherin dungeon entrance. In his mind flooded a thousand thoughts, pressing against his skull. The headache that had formed only made Draco furious.

_Blaise was right…_he thought with a wince, _I have no business even considering thoughts of this._

_If only I had the power to stop them…_


	10. Year 4: Slytherin Dungeon

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter

YEAR 4

The small, silver serpent decorated timepiece that sat in the silent Slytherin common room chimed 4 delicate bells. The outsized, spacious dungeon was cut off from all light, save for what the couple dozen silver tennis ball sized floating orbs gave off. The conjured nightlights slowly moved their way around the deserted room, until movement was sensed. As if brought forth by this presence, the orbs lowered themselves in two lines to form a path setting forth from the first step of the dormitory stairs. Bare, pale feet padded soundlessly down these stairs, stepping without hesitation onto the lit path. Once Draco started walking down the trail the lights adjusted themselves, swaying and swerving on the ground to lead him to where he desired; the Slytherin boy's lavatory.

He pushed past the heavy wooden door that swung reluctantly with a groan, revealing the large, dull silver tiles of the bathroom floor. Draco's upper body suddenly went rigid as he made his way across the freezing floor. His loose forest green pajamas seemed to do nothing against the chill. It didn't matter anyway as the showers came into view. With nimble fingers he quickly had his shirt unbuttoned and slipped it off, draping it on the metal towel rack on the side of the end shower stall. He took a moment, letting his eyelids fall closed and embracing the feel of the chilled air wrapping its invisible arms around his waist and lightly kissing his slightly muscular stomach. He exhaled a small meaningless sigh and tugged at one of the cream colored strings of his pants. The neatly tied bow unraveled and he watched the fabric slide to the ground. He stared down at the contrast of the green against the silver, losing himself in the colors as they grew fuzzy. It took a minute before he shook his head and brought himself out of the trance. With a scowl he bent over and snatched his pants from the floor and tossed them on the metal bar with his shirt. A quick shiver ran up and down his spine where goosebumps followed as he stood naked before the small, dark green tiles of the shower stall.

He pulled open the frosted glass door and stepped through, letting it close on its own. When it sealed with a click, water began to spurt through the shiny, flat silver showerhead. Ice cold drops of liquid speckled Draco's shoulders causing him to shiver involuntarily. In no time at all the water was flowing freely from above in heavy streams. Tiny puffs of steam rose as the wonderfully scorching wetness pelted his face and shoulders. Draco closed his eyes and moaned contentedly in his throat, lifting his chin to allow the heavenly heated fluid engulf the rest of his body. The temperature of the water running over his cold contrasting skin scalded him in a strangely pleasant way.

Once his whole body was graced with the elixir's warmth he dropped his head to stare at the glistening green tiles before him. The water soaked his platinum blonde head and ran down his smirking face. The smile began to flicker away, however, when he saw his own reflection in the tightly grouped squares. He tried looking past it, but only saw the unhappiness lurking behind him. His stare turned into a glare, hating the distorted faint lines of the boy hating him back. The harder he looked, the more the face changed until suddenly it wasn't his face anymore. Blankly he saw dull grey eyes turn to the color of the shower wall in front of him. The face that didn't belong to him twisted into a grin and gazed back behind circular frames…

"NO!" he shouted as he punched the face away with his palm, his tone hot and furious. The sound of the impact echoed within the four walls.

_No. Fuck Potter. Fuck him. Fuck!_

He gritted his teeth and tightly shut his eyes, pressing his forehead to the still cool tiles trying to exterminate the thoughts he couldn't control.

_Shithead Potter. He gets everything. _Everything_! _

A sudden sob took him by surprise and escaped through his clenched teeth. He shook his head slowly against the smooth shower wall. Another hiccup of misery bubbled up as his throat tightened. He stood up straight, letting his back hit one of the side walls and sliding down until he reached the floor. The shower's warm embrace was out of reach now. His head fell against the corner of the wall and he watched the water shine against the floor tiles and disappear down the drain.

Draco lost himself in the crystal clear streams, succumbing to the overbearing confusion he felt. He was so tired. He hadn't slept well at all since returning to Hogwarts and things just kept getting worse and worse; first with the Golden Boy being chosen as the 4th TriWizard Tournament Champion, then with his lucky success at the first task. It was all too ridiculous. Why did everything _always_ work out for him?

A hot burning sensation began building, pressing behind the Slytherin's eyes. He clenched his fists and silently cursed Potter for living. Everything about him made him angry; his face, his eyes, his fake smile, the sound of his voice, his pansy personality, but more than anything, he hated the way the pit of his stomach twisted every time their gazes crossed.

The sudden creaking and groaning of the bathroom door brought Draco back from his thoughts. He sighed in annoyance, running his fingers through his hair to push back the bothersome dripping strands. A dark, fuzzy figure passed by Draco's shower door. He watched the male figure pause, then back up and stand before the translucent glass.

"Drake?" the voice whispered hoarsely. Draco's annoyance shifted to anger.

"What, Blaise?" he growled. He didn't have the patience for him right now.

"You weren't in bed. Just wondered where you skulked off to."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm here in the shower. You found me. Congratulations. This does happen to be a private affair, however, so maybe you should leave me the fuck alone."

He could see the silhouette shake its head. "Ah, come now, Draco. I don't want to have to force myself into your head. You know it would be easier for the both of us if you just told me what's bothering you."

"It's a shame I've never been one for the easy route."

"Draco," Blaise said sternly, "I can't sleep not knowing where you are or what you could be doing at such a ridiculous hour-"

"Blaise, I'm warning you."

"I can't help that I think you might be doing something self-destructive!"

Draco's eyebrows pulled together, a little taken by surprise.

_That I could never do…_

Blaise took the silence differently.

"You're…you're not, right?" he said quietly, panic clear in his voice. Draco just sat and said nothing.

_What would it prove?_

"…Draco?"

_There is no gain in death. What would be the point?_

"Drake?"

Blaise suddenly grabbed the shower door's silver handle and wrenched it open. Wide, shocked silver eyes shot up at him.

"BLAISE!"

Almost as quickly as he had stepped in, he was forcefully shoved back out through the glass door by Draco. Blaise fell back a few steps then regained his balance. He stared at the frosted pale figure that kept the foggy door tightly in its place.

"Um…"

"Out." Draco ordered sharply. Blaise's face dropped sadly, but he nodded and turned away.

Draco sighed heavily through his nose, standing with his forehead against the glass.

This was not going to be a good year.


End file.
